The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a closely watched case that questions whether the University of Minnesota violated a mortuary-science student’s constitutional right to free speech when it disciplined her for comments she posted on Facebook. Some of the comments referred to a cadaver used in an embalming class in a way that upset donors, and one post expressed a wish to stab someone with an embalming tool.

The student, Amanda Tatro, who received her diploma last fall, had argued that the university had no authority to discipline her for off-campus activities. In a decision last July, however, a state court of appeals ruled in favor of the university.

In arguments before the state Supreme Court on Wednesday, Jordan Kushner, a lawyer for Ms. Tatro, stated that his client did not identify the cadaver by name or describe the dissection procedure in detail,…

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A bill that would have limited the ability of public colleges and universities in Utah to offer tenure to faculty members was defeated on Wednesday by a 10-to-4 vote of the State House of Representatives Education Committee, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Christopher Herrod, a Republican, argued that tenure stifled competition and was unnecessary, because only 42 percent of Utah professors have it. Mr. Herrod has taught as an adjunct at Utah Valley University. David Buhler, associate commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education, argued against the bill (HB 322). He rejected Mr. Herrod’s contention that tenure guaranteed lifetime employment, saying tenured professors “are reviewed every year on their performance and might be dismissed if they are not measuring up.”

The epic saga of the University of North Dakota’s controversial “Fighting Sioux” mascot took another swerve today, as the university’s president, Robert O. Kelley, declared that it would resume using the symbol while the question of the mascot’s fate was put to the state’s voters, the Associated Press reported. The NCAA, which considers the nickname to be “hostile or abusive” to American Indians, has said it will penalize the university as long as it retains the mascot.

The university has sought to retire the “Fighting Sioux” image for years, but has had to bow to legislation, litigation, and wavering public interest in the issue. The state’s legislature enacted a law in 2010 that required the university to keep the symbol. But just a year later, the law was repealed.

This year supporters of the mascot pushed for a statewide referendum, and on Tuesday they filed a petition to put…

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Lisa Troyer, who resigned last month as chief of staff to the president of the University of Illinois amid an investigation into anonymous e-mails to faculty leaders, has accepted a faculty position in the department of psychology on the Urbana-Champaign campus, The News-Gazette, a local newspaper, reported. Ms. Troyer denies having sent the e-mails, although experts determined that they were sent from her computer and found no evidence to support her claim that the computer had been hacked. Ms. Troyer came to Illinois with a tenured appointment in psychology when Michael J. Hogan became the system’s president, in July 2010, and served as his chief of staff. She had worked for him at his previous posts as president of the University of Connecticut and provost of the University of Iowa.

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, an 8,300-student institution normally far from the national media spotlight, posted a statement on its Web site on Tuesday in response to “misperceptions” arising after a flurry of news reports about the availability of an over-the-counter contraceptive drug in a vending machine in its health center. The drug, known as Plan B, is sometimes called the “morning-after pill.” The university makes it available because students requested it, Roger L. Serr, vice president for student affairs, says in the statement, and its $25 cost “is paid by the purchasers” with no subsidy from state tax funds or student health fees. The machine is in a private room accessible only to students and staff members, he says, adding: “No one can walk in off the street and go into the health center.” In addition, health-care providers are available to discuss Plan B with…

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Ann Weaver Hart, departing president of Temple University, was named the lone candidate for the University of Arizona presidency on Tuesday. Ms. Hart, who had already announced her intention to leave Temple in June, after six years, would replace Robert N. Shelton, who left Arizona to become executive director of the Fiesta Bowl.

College students have more trouble with alcohol abuse than do their nonstudent peers, says a government report released today. According to data collected in 2009 by researchers at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly half of college students who seek substance-abuse treatment—46.6 percent—have problems with alcohol, compared with 30.6 percent of their nonstudent peers. However, students were considerably less likely to abuse illicit drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, than were nonstudents. For example, only 7.2 percent of college students seeking treatment reported heroin abuse, compared with 16.1 percent of nonstudents. But rates of marijuana abuse held steady for both groups—30.9 percent for college students and 30 percent for nonstudents.

The nation’s college-completion agenda may be threatening open-door admissions policies at two-year institutions, says a report released today by the American Association of Community Colleges. The organization is concerned that colleges may become more selective in admissions in an attempt to meet graduation goals, and will therefore limit college access for disadvantaged students. Community colleges are known for their open-door policies, which allow all types of students to enroll.

Nearly a year ago, Gov. Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania urged state legislators to cut in half the state’s spending on public colleges. Campus leaders fought back, and despite some political missteps, they negotiated the proposed reduction down to 19 percent.

This year, the Republican governor’s budget, released today, proposes about a 30-percent cut for three of the four state-related institutions—Pennsylvania State and Temple Universities, and the University of Pittsburgh. The 14 state-owned universities would see a 20-percent cut under the governor’s new budget. Community colleges would see a cut of nearly 4 percent, and funds for state-supported student loans would drop by 5 percent.

Also on Tuesday, the governor announced the appointment of an advisory panel that will make recommendations on how to increase access to higher education in Pennsylvania and make it more affordable…

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Some of Georgia’s low-income students could receive college scholarships of up to $2,500 a year for four years through a privately supported, need-based program that Gov. Nathan Deal announced on Monday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Students would enter the program while in middle school, signing a contract promising to attend school, stay out of trouble, and earn a 2.5 GPA in high school. AT&T donated $250,000 to support the first scholars, and Governor Deal, a Republican, is asking other donors to join in. Some Democratic lawmakers said they support need-based student aid, but criticized Governor Deal’s plan. Instead, they suggested adding an income cap on eligibility for the state’s Hope Scholarship program, which is facing another year of cuts in award amounts to close a deep deficit.